United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia

The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) was a paramilitary and drug trafficking group which waged war on the ELN and FARC guerrillas from April of 1997 to 2008. The group originated with anti-narco militias during the 1980s, and the group sought to protect local social, economic, and political interests by fighting left-wing revolutionaries across Colombia. Carlos Castano led the group until his 2004 murder, and he funded the group through the cocaine trade, raising an army of 20,000 men. By 2006, the majority of the AUC's blocs were demobilized, and most of the leaders were in prison by 2008.